1. Using Roasted or Salted Nuts

Take it from food director Carla Lalli Music who routinely makes her own almond milk and rice-nut milk blends. You really, really need to start with raw, unseasoned nuts. Salted or sugared nuts will result in salted or sugared milk (le duh). Roasted nuts are dry and brittle, making for a less-creamy milk. It also highlights their bitter undertones, whereas raw nuts are sweeter.

2. Skipping the Soak

Plan ahead: Raw nuts need to soak for at least 12 hours before blending. This saturates the nut from the inside-out, resulting in a smoother, creamier texture. It also yields more liquid, because fully saturated nuts blend better and leave less "pulp" behind. As if that wasn't enough reason to take your almonds for a dip, soaking activates the enzymes, making the milk more nutritious. If you want to make nut milk without soaking, you can make up for some (but definitely not all) of the time by blending the nuts with very hot water.

Peden + Munk

Fried almonds are great. But not for your milk! Photo: Peden + Munk

3. Getting the Nut:Water Ratio Wrong

According to Music, you'll need four parts water to one part nuts. Memorize this ratio, and you can even mix and match nuts. Think cashew-almond, macadamia-cashew, or even branch out with rice-nut blends. Music often combines rice with cashews or almonds—the grains cushion the nuts' higher price tag.

4. Not Blending Long Enough—Or Straining Efficiently

First things first: If you don't have a powerful or high-speed blender, leave the nut milk to the pros. Says Music, "Your milk will only be as good as your blender." After you've pulverized the nuts and liquid on high power for at least one minute, it's up to you to choose how much you want to strain it. If you plan on cooking with the milk (say, using it to simmer whole grains, or don't mind a little pulpy sediment, just shake and proceed. If you prefer your milk to be smooth, strain it through a medium or fine-mesh sieve. For the silkiest milk, use a nut bag to catch the extra-fine bits.

5. Not Flavoring Your Milk

You want to avoid excessive seasonings and flavorings in your nut milk—that's why you're making it at home, right? But consider this: Dairy milk has naturally-occurring sweet and salty flavors. Without them, nut milk tastes flat and one-note. Add a pinch of salt and a little agave, honey, or maple syrup to the mix after blending. Or, do as Music does and soak the nuts with a cinnamon stick, a pinch of salt, and a date. The flavors will infuse the liquid as they soak, and you can blend it all together.

6. Using Rancid Nuts

Nuts go bad faster than you'd think, and nowhere is that "off" flavor more apparent than in a batch of nut milk. Be sure to use fresh nuts. If you're not sure, taste them before soaking. To keep raw nuts fresh longer, store them in the freezer or in a cool, dark cupboard in an airtight container.